The production of glass requires a large consumption of natural gas, the price of which has increased significantly in the last six months.

Volkswagen has begun stockpiling windshields amid fears that Europe will soon suffer a major shortage of the component.

Car manufacturers usually operate on a time basis to avoid stockpiling parts and thus wasting money and space.

But the Wall Street Journal reports that Volkswagen is now buying glass and windows in bulk because it believes rising energy prices in Europe could cause glass shortages on the continent.

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Glassmaking is energy intensive and involves heating sand and other glassmaking components, which requires a lot of natural gas as an energy source, but the price of that gas has skyrocketed since Russia invaded Ukraine.

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About 40 percent of German gas comes from Russia, which could raise prices further this winter.